I found the basis for this recipe in A Taste of Lebanon by Mary Salloum (Interlink Books, 2001), where it was called Bread Salad, but modified it to suit my own taste. I wanted more Romaine lettuce and more convenience, plus, as you’ll see, more options. Here’s what I did:

                     Fatoosh

2 bags hearts of Romaine, or equivalent chopped Romaine heads

1/2 bag pita crisps (I used Athenos original flavor, but there are other brands and flavors, or you can toast 2 whole pitas and break them into pieces if you prefer) 

1 bunch radishes, sliced

1 large salad cucumber, sliced

 1 bunch scallions (green onions), diced

1 bunch curly parsley, chopped

6-8 stems fresh mint, chopped

6 small or 3 medium tomatoes, quartered, or a carton cherry tomatoes

Toss all together in a big salad bowl, serve up individual bowls, and pour on Lemon Sumac Dressing (recipe follows) before serving. For those who’d prefer to skip bread of any kind in their salads (like yours truly), separate out a portion of salad before adding the pita crisps and add crumbled feta and (if desired) crumbled falafel patties before dressing the salad.

             Lemon Sumac Dressing

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons sumac (available online, from spice shops, and from Middle Eastern groceries)

1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced

salt and black pepper to taste

Yum! This dressing is totally lemony and delicious, keeps well in the fridge, and can be used as a vinaigrette on any salad, not just Fatoosh. So good for you, too. And I’ll bet it would make a great marinade for veggie kabobs or chicken.

           ‘Til next time,

                         Silence